You are right to point this out as contradictory, and I'm happy to clarify. It's more a product of trying to reply quickly.
Often in medical research, we see early high-quality studies purporting an effect. As a recent example, fish oil for hyperlipidemia. Positive studies (meaning ones that show an effect beyond placebo) are more likely to get picked up for publication, and ones that show new/interesting findings even more so. But the general trend, for nearly everything, is that continued research shows less effectiveness than the original studies. All too commonly, the effect with more and better studies becomes nearly indistinguishable from placebo. The media is very fond of pointing out this apparent "fip-flopping" as evidence that scientists are idiots.
That's where we are now with marijuana research. A handful of high-quality studies is a compelling start for more research, but not a basis for a robust conclusion, especially in the face of the large body of evidence for harm. Fish oil does not have that degree of harm, for example, so the early studies of effectiveness could meet a threshold of risk/benefit much more easily.
Hope that helps.
The reddit link does indeed have a bunch of peer-reviewed studies, but they are of highly variable quality. Not all articles, regardless of journal, are great. The negative outweighing the positive was related to my observation of the bias of cannabis research, and as you rightly point out that does not preclude a well-conducted body of research on a specific indication (for example, pain) from demonstrating an effect beyond placebo.
Often in medical research, we see early high-quality studies purporting an effect. As a recent example, fish oil for hyperlipidemia. Positive studies (meaning ones that show an effect beyond placebo) are more likely to get picked up for publication, and ones that show new/interesting findings even more so. But the general trend, for nearly everything, is that continued research shows less effectiveness than the original studies. All too commonly, the effect with more and better studies becomes nearly indistinguishable from placebo. The media is very fond of pointing out this apparent "fip-flopping" as evidence that scientists are idiots.
That's where we are now with marijuana research. A handful of high-quality studies is a compelling start for more research, but not a basis for a robust conclusion, especially in the face of the large body of evidence for harm. Fish oil does not have that degree of harm, for example, so the early studies of effectiveness could meet a threshold of risk/benefit much more easily.
Hope that helps.
The reddit link does indeed have a bunch of peer-reviewed studies, but they are of highly variable quality. Not all articles, regardless of journal, are great. The negative outweighing the positive was related to my observation of the bias of cannabis research, and as you rightly point out that does not preclude a well-conducted body of research on a specific indication (for example, pain) from demonstrating an effect beyond placebo.